If the Colorado Avalanche were waiting for an important game to end their
worst stretch of the season, that time has arrived.

With first place in the Northwest Division at stake, the Avalanche will try
to end a seven-game home winless streak when the Vancouver Canucks visit the
Pepsi Center.

Owners of the NHL's best record at the end of January, the Avalanche could
find themselves second in the Northwest with a loss Wednesday. While a playoff
berth is all but assured, a second-place finish in the division would likely
drop Colorado into fourth place in the Western Conference.

Despite several of the league's best offensive players, the Avalanche have
had problems scoring at home of late, contributing to an 0-4-2-1 mark there
since a 3-1 victory over Carolina on Feb. 3.

Since scoring two goals in the first period against Detroit on Feb. 5,
Colorado has just four goals in nearly 430 minutes at the Pepsi Center.

A lackluster 3-0 loss to visiting Tampa Bay on Monday dropped the Avs to
1-5-1-1 in their last eight overall.

"Going through the season, you obviously think you are going to have little
stumbles, but I didn't think we would get caught in a rut like this," Colorado
coach Tony Granato said. "We haven't been able to generate a whole lot of
offense. With the people we have on this team, that should be our strength."

With the Avalanche struggling, rumors are intensifying that the team is
talking with the Washington Capitals about the possibility of trading for
goalie Olaf Kolzig and defenseman Sergei Gonchar.

While goaltending figured to be the team's biggest problem this season,
David Aebischer has been arguably the team's best player lately. Aebischer has
allowed two goals or fewer in seven of his last eight starts.

Getting star center Peter Forsberg - sidelined the last seven games with a
groin injury - back in the lineup would certainly help Colorado.

"We're just going to take our time," Forsberg said. "It's going to take a
while to heal. How long we don't know. We're not going to take any chances
right now and come back too early and hurt it again."

Also contributing to the team's slump is the lack of production from star
forwards Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya. Selanne has three goals and four points
in his past 25 games and Kariya has two goals in his last 16 contests.

Vancouver completed a sweep of a three-game homestand with a 2-0 victory
over St. Louis on Saturday.

Johan Hedberg, making his first start in two weeks, earned his second
shutout of the season and Artem Chubarov and Mattias Ohlund scored for the
Canucks, who finished 5-5-0-2 in February.